Leverage
by gladheonsleeps
Summary: Out in the deserts of New Mexico two women have their lives changed forever. One gains everything and the other, it seems, has everything taken away. rated M for heavy language as well as tasertricks sexy times.
1. Chapter 1

Eleven year old Darcy Lewis sat in the playground eating her lunch. It wasn't much like those of the other kids, her adopted parents were not the type for white bread and peanut butter, instead she had a salad sandwich on lumpy homemade bread and a muffin that made a thunking noise as it hit the bottom of the metal playgroud bin every day. She sat alone here, as she had at every school she had ever been to. No one wanted anything to do with a blank girl. Even the teachers spoke as little as possible to the strange girl with no soul stain, for all she got excellent grades in nearly every subject.

Kids were scattered around the quadrangle, playing, gossiping, laughing and little Darcy sighed, looking at the wide range of colours each sported somewhere. Not all were exposed, but most were on their palms. Most people matched with a handshake after all. Darcy supposed it would be possible to lie, to say that her mark was somewhere else maybe, but she had never been very good at lying. Her parents told her that she was blank because she was special; that someone would choose her one day, just like they chose her, that it would be fine in the end. She sighed and drank some water, made necessary because of the bread in the sandwich. Her parents weren't like other parents, their house smelled like candles and incense and her clothes were always handmade or second hand but they had chosen her, at the age of eight, saving her from a life wholly filled with rejection and days spent with an empty stomach. She was even a little bit chubby now, but Susan told her that she would grow out of it and that she'd be very beautiful soon. Darcy wasn't too sure, right now she felt awkward and weird but Susan was really pretty, for all she didn't dress or act like other moms, so maybe she knew what she was talking about. She finished her sandwich and headed for Mrs Mahoney's class. She wasn't exactly nice to Darcy, she was too distracted by her science experiments. But she let her hang out in her classroom anyway and work on her extra homework during lunch if she wanted. It beat sitting by herself in the quadrangle anyway.

...

Sixteen year old Darcy Lewis sat in the toilet stall in her prom dress, tears silently trickling down her face. Trevor had matched with Sharon. She didn't know quite what she'd been expecting of tonight, but she sure as hell wasn't expecting her boyfriend to match with the girl who made her life hell. She rubbed her pristine white arms and drew herself up. It would all be over soon, she was graduating early due to her hard work and smarts. She kind of thought that maybe it was a little because the school was pretty done with all the trouble she was causing as a blank too. Maybe not, but she knew there would be nobody missing her when she was gone. She'd been accepted at Culver University. Her parents were super proud of her, and she was grateful once again to at least have two people in her corner. Especially when all of the scholarships had fallen through due to her blank status. Her parents were willing to foot the bill for a degree, and that was nothing to sniff at.

She scrubbed her face with her hands and pulled her nokia out of her purse. They'd come and get her, and Susan probably had a bucket of homemade soy ice-cream ready. They hadn't wanted her to come to prom but she'd been wrapped up in the romance with Trevor. And so, Susan had made her a dress, a beautiful red number and just for a moment, Darcy had felt like a princess, but it wasn't to last, she just wasn't princess material. She sighed and dialled home, hoping her parents would be able to come soon.

...

It was midnight and Darcy was hunting for a way out. She was just about through with her masters when the professor she was seeing told her they were about to be found out and that it was over. Not only was she more than a little crushed, but that was her science unit. She needed science credits to finish her post grad, and she needed out of Culver. She saw a posting for an intern in the deserts of New Mexico. Clicking on the application button she swallowed, hoping this wouldn't be as awful as it looked.

Anything to get out of Culver for a while.

 _So just a memo that I'm picturing Darcy's adoptive parents to be a couple a little like the parents from Easy A but a little more hippy. They own an interiors shop with lots of handmade cushions and quilts and chairs and things, so maybe a weird cross between the parents from Easy A and the parents from Mean Girls. anyway, they raised her pretty good, and are different enough themselves to roll with Darcy Lewis' randomness._

 _I totally love the idea that something that is basically like a gaudy colourful birthmark would be prized and revered in this universe, that the womens' pristine skin would be weird._

 _Also Mrs Mahoney is definitely a reference to Natalie Portman's character in Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium._


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you have the charts from Thursday?" Darcy smiled crookedly as she thought about what other things they'd done on Thursday. There was a lot of downtime while out in the desert, and the two had found a few activities that helped make the hours go by.

At first Darcy had been intimidated by Dr Foster and all of her hard science, star charts, extreme theories, and all of that homemade equipment that was so oddly built and complicated that only the creator of said equipment could understand how to even use it. But she had settled into the oddball lab that Foster had built within an abandoned gas station and the two eccentric young women became familiar enough with one another that they eventually opened up about their stains, or lack thereof. It was some time later that their beautiful little romance started. Darcy had been blown away that she wasn't the only one. She'd never ever thought that she would find someone else that was unmarked, drifting without a match like she was. She was only twenty one, sure but even so.

Of course Darcy had been half in love already. She thrived among chaos, and she adored intelligence, add those huge brown eyes and soft skin and the adorable way Jane kept falling asleep on her papers in the early hours of the morning and it was easy to see how it happened. She hadn't thought she had a chance in all hell though, if she knew anything about the fates it was that they were nasty bitches who had way too much fun fucking people over. But then, in the early hours of one night that was too cloudy to go out into the desert, after some drinking, and some more space science, Foster lost her shit at her intern's butchering of terminology. not the most romantic of beginnings, but effective nonetheless.

"It's astrophysics Darcy!" Dr Foster slurred, her eyebrows crossed; she pointed her finger accusingly. "I know what you're doing. I know all about you. You pretend to be oblivious but you are far smarter than you let on. Why pretend to be less than you are when you are so beautiful and have so much going for you?" she looked down at her hands, the skin unmarred by any colour or stain. Quietly she lamented, "All I know is that without a soul stain, I feel like all I have is my intelligence to keep me warm at night."

Darcy, drunk and reeling at the thought that the gorgeous woman in front of her just called her beautiful replied softly, "Hey, you have me." Jane paused, a mixture of emotions all running across her face at once, none of which were any Darcy recognised. She pushed her hair out of her face and bluntly continued, voice shaking. "If I've learned anything it's that the lover's match is just a burden that we weren't cursed with. We can choose. You don't have to be alone, Jane, I'm right here if you want me." And with that stupid move that could cost her six credits, she exited the lab, leaving the door to her bedroom open. Damn professors and Darcy's inability to not fall for them.

Her room was tiny. Jane was staying in a trailer out the back of the lab, and Darcy was squished into what had once been a tiny office. It was just large enough for a mattress on the floor and a single bookshelf that held all her worldly possessions. She'd turned it into a little sanctuary with fairy lights and paper chains and glow in the dark stars on the roof to make it feel like she wasn't Harry Potter living under the stairs. Her hands were shaking as she sat on her messy bed, filled with pillows and quilts and rugs that her mother and father had made. Enough to make a decent blanket fort out of. She had put her headphones in but hadn't had time to get to her heartbreak playlist when Jane appeared at her door looking at her with eyes wide and ponytail crooked, a spilled coffee and some crumbs from dinner on her shirt. Darcy looked up, biting her lip; not wanting to jump the gun when Jane launched forward in a move that Darcy would grow accustomed to and fondly label 'Jane's Mack Attack'.

She tasted of tequila and stale coffee and she smelled like she hadn't showered in two days, but Darcy could hardly deal with the sense of victory and she gave as good as she got, her hands tangling in Jane's hair and pulling it out of her ponytail as they settled into the mess of pillows and soft fluffy blankets to get better acquainted.

...

It wasn't that Eric was a bad guy; Darcy knew he just thought of Jane as a daughter and like a lot of other people he had an inherent distrust for any relationship that wasn't marked. They had been rather protected, she supposed, doing their thing in the lab on the edge of a tiny town, uninterrupted by the outside world. But then Eric had arrived and reminded them they totally weren't normal. She tried to take it on the chin and deal with being ignored and the subtle insults to her intelligence; but Jane had been sleeping outside again and Darcy was finding that neglect a little hard to take. Things hadn't been fairy tale happily ever after, but the two women had been getting along pretty damn well. And she wasn't bragging or anything but all the sex had been good for Jane. She had been a little more settled, still making epic breakthroughs and Darcy knew she would always come second to science but she was cool with that if it meant she got her at all.

When Eric came to visit though, things went back to the way they had been before; the irregular meals, Jane pushing her sleep schedule to crazy lengths and the lab had gone back to all round epic chaos, rather than the organised chaos Darcy had been able to wrangle it into in their more sane days. They were out in the desert most nights too, gathering data in these electric storms that were supposed to be good for space travel or something. And OK, maybe it wasn't Eric, maybe Darcy just had the creeping feeling that her dreams of a happy crazy life with the scientist weren't actually on the cards for her after all. The laughing fates had other plans, and they involved Jane.

She honest-to-god didn't tase Thor out of spite. All she knew was that he was yelling at the sky, Jane was split between talking about the stain that was burned onto her hand and the scientific phenomena, and the dude. Eric was incredulously repeating Swedish sounding phrases that the dude was saying and it was all too much and also? The guy was fucking huge, so she took him out. They got him in the car and took him to the hospital and all the while Jane kept looking at the palm of her right hand where a large red stain vaguely in the shape of a circle had formed out of nowhere when the storm hit; fascinated now that there was no data for her to document. She sighed; at least this homeless beefcake/possibly-Jane's-lover was second to science too. At least they hadn't matched. That would have been too much to take at that moment.

They eventually got back to the lab and Darcy took a bottle of beam to her tiny bedroom while Jane stayed up all night gazing at the sky exchanging theories with Eric, who was still distracted by all the mythology references the man had said. All round, it had been a pretty shitty day. Darcy wouldn't admit to crying herself to sleep, or wondering in a melodramatic manner whether she was the loneliest girl in the world right before she dozed off, but that didn't mean it hadn't happened.

...

Loki woke in his chambers early enough that the palace was quiet, the staff quietly going about their chores before the rest of the residents awoke. He closed his eyes with a wince as he remembered the events of the day before. Thor exiled, Odin asleep and he abandoned by his mother into the role of king. He growled. Not his mother.

He had forever felt alone and abandoned, the Norns deciding he was not even worthy of a heart mate; his skin devoid of mark or blemish. He knew Thor was without one either, a fact that was kept under wraps by the family. If it was known that the sons of Odin were both without a stain there would be chaos in the nine realms, all and sundry would come to claim them. It was bad enough as it was, being pawed by strangers and friends alike.

Thor loved touches and cuddles, accepting them as signs of affection rather than the actions of wishful thinking that it was. Loki had long ago made sure people knew their touch was not welcome. He only let a few people near. He rose and washed his face, the water splashing into the golden sink and reflecting morning light in a joyful dance. Loki scowled. There was no joy to be found here. All along he was a changeling. A cuckoo in the palace of the Allfather. A monster. A beast.

He dressed and moved to the bifrost, he needed to see Thor.


	3. Chapter 3

_From here on out there will be a lot of references to the movies Thor, The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World. I totally don't own that shit, or the characters. It isn't too often, but you'll know when you see it. I've tried to write in the gaps of the movie scenes, rather than just repeating what we see in the movies, mostly because I don't want to still be writing this in 100 years. Hope it works._

They came for Jane's stuff in the morning. Darcy was hung over and her throat was raw from crying but Jane was like a hound, chasing the agents around the lab, yelling at them despite their visible weapons and obvious dangerous status. They took everything. But then Jane raised her hands to emphasise a point and the top jack booted thug had caught her hand. "Dr Foster, our files list you as without a stain."

Jane went pale, trying to snatch her arm back. "No... I... what file? Why do you have a file on me?"

"We've been interested in your work for some time Dr Foster. I need you to come with us."

"What?" Darcy said. "How? You can't arrest her for having a stain."

"I assure you that we can, Ms Lewis, and if you wish to remain out of incaseration you would do well to let us do our jobs."

She stood back but growled "Agent..?"

"Coulson." He offered.

"Agent Coulson. If she disappears I want you to know that I will make your life hell. You hear me?"

His eyes were soft when he turned to her. "I understand Ms Lewis. Now if you'll excuse me..."

They took off in a cloud of red dust and Eric arrived loaded down with breakfast which he and Thor had gone off to get while Jane and Darcy were still waking up. "Where's Thor?"

"There was talk of a satellite and he took off, speaking of Mjolnir. What on earth happened here?"

"They took Jane."

...

Midgard wasn't what he expected. A few days ago, before everything went to Hel, Loki would have been delighted and fascinated by the development that had happened in a remarkably small time since he had last visited three centuries before, instead he was a little distracted by the burning sensation on his jaw. He rubbed it absently and went on his way, sweating in the afternoon sun. Now of course he knew why he had felt flustered and hot every day of his life. He had learned long ago to disguise his discomfort but learning of his heritage had explained more than a few of the odd problems he'd dealt with over the centuries both in Asgard and out of it. His musing was halted as he hid himself in the room where Thor was held by the local authorities, dressed in what could only be the clothes of a peasant.

Loki was not at all surprised that the oaf was in trouble already. He watched as a man calmly asked Thor who had trained him, thinking him of some Midgardian militia rather than the Crown Prince of Asgard. He was a little bemused that Thor sat silent, rather than exploding with rage at the slight. He shrugged to himself as the man left quietly and revealed himself.

"Loki?"

"I had to see you."

"No, your face."

Loki paused. "What?"

Thor beamed. "You have been stained as well as I! Is this not wonderful news! All this time I thought I was to live alone."

Loki's eyes narrowed as Thor waved at his face. There was a faint blue mark across the left side just under his cheek bone. A heart stain. He remembered the burning sensation on his arrival. He raised his hand to where he head felt the sting. Could it be? He turned and looked at the mirrored window and there, like a bruise, was a mauve stain. Thor laughed at his surprise. "They must be Midgardian Loki! I think I have already met mine, for she was blank before I arrived. Is this not wonderful? Why are you not rejoicing brother?"

Loki cleared his throat. He could worry about a heart mate later. "Father is dead."

...

Darcy was making up a false ID for Thor when she felt the burning on her fist. She rubbed it, looking to see if she'd been stung and gaped. "What?" Eric asked. She just pointed her fist and his eyebrows rose, then he smiled, patting her on the back. She wasn't about to break down in front of Eric, and she certainly wasn't about to have a heart to heart with the dude, so they got back to work and set about getting their friend and her maybe/probably lover out of MIB jail. If that was even possible.

She caught herself looking at the pale blue stain on her knuckles every so often. They got the two out of dodge and Jane grabbed her hand. "Darcy-" Thor took her hand gently and rubbed her knuckles with a callused thumb.

"It's blue." He said. And Darcy snatched her hand back, not understanding the line that formed between his brows and look of puzzlement on his face.

"Yeah, so? so is yours." she cradled one fist in the other protectively.

He seemed about to say something but smiled instead, "Congratulations Lady Darcy, this is good news, is it not? I know what it is to be unmarked. We should celebrate this new development."

Darcy didn't know if it was quite celebrating she was doing at the bar with the boilermakers that Eric kept shouting them, but it certainly helped take her mind off things for a while. That was until she saw Jane and Thor getting closer and closer as the night went on, discussing something in one of Jane's notebooks that someone had managed to steal back on their rescue mission. Eventually she knocked back her drink and slipped out of the bar, walking home by herself. She crawled into her bed and fell asleep under fairylights gripping her right fist in her left, clutching it to her chest.

...

Darcy looked up with everyone else when some massive people knocked on the window on the lab. Thor seemed pretty stoked and there was a lot of talk of feasting. She crossed her eyebrows in thought, rubbing her knuckles with her left thumb in an unconscious habit she had already developed. Maybe her match was one of those people? She'd have to fist pump them or punch them and none of them had marks in either of the corresponding places, which was a damn shame because that Sif was...amazing.

She didn't have all that much time to think about it because everything exploded.

...

As Jane watched the bifrost disappear and stood, staring at the sky for hours, Darcy watched her hand, her stain flickering in and out, from peach to blue and back again until the light was gone and they stood in the dark. Over the next few days they got their equipment back and Jane kept her busy with getting everything set up and trying to collate as much data as she could from the last few days. The scientist had found then lost a potential lover, but more important right at that moment she was the fact that the theories she had been laughed at her entire career had just been proven absolutely and inarguably true.

Lying in bed at night Darcy would watch her mark continue to flicker in and out. Sometimes it would fade completely and come back a few minutes later. A month later the pain started, sometimes burning, sometimes stinging, and sometimes feeling as if her bones themselves were being broken. She found it hard to hide when that happened. Three months after that came the dreams. Nightmares really. She didn't tell anyone, but she didn't really have too much doubt about who her soul match would be, if it ever happened. Even worse, she had a sinking feeling that she knew what was happening to him on Asgard. She wondered if the stories she had read about Odin's awful punishments were true.


	4. Chapter 4

_One year later..._

Darcy was terribly, awfully, utterly bored. She flicked her TV off and walked to the kitchen in her luxurious apartment. She had no idea how, but the MIB (Or SHIELD as they always insisted on correcting her) had decided that when Darcy matched, it would be to Thor's asshole brother, and then they had come and taken her into custody. That was a year ago. After some pushing she'd received her Master's degree, and had a job given to her in her field within the same building that her apartment was. They were calling it house arrest, but Darcy wondered whether it could actually be called that when she had been buried stories underground for twelve months. Her only contacts were Coulson and his lover Clint Barton, though she hadn't seen him in a while. There was also the incredibly gorgeous redhead called Natasha who slipped in and out on her own whim and her very own personal guard, Sharon who came with her anywhere that wasn't her well appointed coffin (apartment).

She'd seen the Director once, he decided not to come anymore when she spat in his face. She supposed that was a little rude but she'd just been dragged away from Jane at the time, her very last lover. They hadn't even had a chance to talk out the whole Thor thing, or even say goodbye, though it made Darcy smile to think of the fact that it took three Agents to hold the tiny Scientist down as they dragged Darcy away. When she wasn't having Asgardian nightmares she dreamed of the times she had spent in Jane's arms, remembered the feel of her soft lips and tangled hair.

It wasn't as if she had all that much of a life before being incarcerated because of the stupid blue bruise on her fist, but she was going a little crazy trapped within a complex that she was told was in DC but could never be sure. She tried to be her jolly self but it was wearing on her. Sharon wasn't all that much fun. She was nice enough, and a brilliant agent, but she definitely played by the book. To the letter. The woman had suggested training as a way to pass the time and Darcy had reluctantly agreed. She had discovered that there was something to be said for boxing. Slamming that blue mark into a boxing bag over and over was pretty good. It was even more satisfying hitting her trainers.

Only agents over a certain level were allowed to know about her so the gym was usually empty when they used it, the echoes of her hits and panting breaths echoing in the air. Occasionally she'd see some tanked out babe or other taking their own frustrations out in one way or another. That was always nice to watch, but Sharon generally pulled her away to work on her form rather than watch someone else's.

She was pouring herself some tea when there was a knock at the door. She called out her welcome when she saw Coulson slip in. He gazed around at her space and smiled, his shoulders relaxing.

She may have gone overboard with the decorating, sure. But she needed something to distract her and what was once a sleek, modernist dream home was now a lot more cozy. The walls had been painted with bright coloured patches; the brown leather couches were full of cushions and covered with throws from her parent's shop. It was the high ceilings that really did it though; she had hung dozens of strings of fairy lights as well as sparkly or golden objects suspended on silver or gold string hanging from the roof. She knew it made her seem crazy, and perhaps she was. But whenever her new friends/nice jailers came to visit they brought another object. Natasha brought Russian made trinkets and candy and Clint had always brought toy cars with a bucket of ice-cream. Coulson brought Captain America merch or Christmas ornaments. Darcy was Jewish, but she still loved the little shiny things, and thought they deserved to be shown year round. Her favourite gift wasn't hanging, it was the Bucky Bear he had brought over right at the beginning when she had cried herself to sleep every night.

"Hey there agent, what's up?" He gave her a cheeky smile (which for him was a dry smile that hid everything but the faintest glimmer of mischief in the eye.) He opened his outstretched palm and there was a tiny little golden Captain America shield. It was a broach. She squealed and gave him a hug, which he pretended he didn't enjoy.

She poured him a cup of tea and they sat down on the couch. "Darcy I have some news. It's not very pleasant I'm afraid." She looked at him expectantly. There hadn't been any 'news' for the estimated year that she'd been stuck in this fates-damned building. She didn't reply, just raised an eyebrow and took a sip of tea. Natasha didn't visit often, but she'd had an effect on the girl nonetheless. "He's back on Earth. He took Selvig and Clint, shot Fury."

Darcy didn't realise she'd dropped her mug until she registered Phil tidying up. "Where is he? I mean- are they OK?"

"Fury's fine, he-"

"Clint and Eric, damn it are they alright?"

"Nick said that he had somehow mind controlled them. He used magic to... take control somehow." there was the slightest slumping of the shoulders. The guy must have been devastated.

"Fuck, Phil I'm sorry." Darcy was clenching her fists so hard she felt her nails dig into her palms.

Quietly the agent said "I'm trusting that he won't be harmed. He's been through hell, he will survive this too."

Darcy searched his face and saw that he was holding on. She felt the tears sliding down on her face before she even realised she was crying. "I guess you're going to use me for whatever the plan was when you dragged me down here?"

Phil winced but nodded. "I won't let you be put in danger Darcy, trust me."

"That won't be your call, Phil. I like to think that we're friends, but don't think that I have forgotten that I am a prisoner because of some damn stain that arrived twenty one years late. And I definitely haven't forgiven it. I'll just get changed."

Phil's expression held regret, but he only nodded. "You'll need to pack some clothes. Enough for a week or so."

Darcy nodded and went to her bedroom. The room was similarly decorated to the rest of the house except that the walls were painted with a dark navy blue and golden stars scattered across the walls. She headed for her closet and stripped, putting on some clothing that would be comfortable for travel and packing a week's worth of jeans and flannels. Then, smirking she replaced them with her best lingerie, thigh high socks, sneakers and t-shirts miniskirts. She kept a pair of jeans but decided that if she had to hang out with stupid Nick Fury she'd give him an eyeful and keep him on his toes.

Besides, if Loki was in fact her soulmate, then maybe a flash of thigh would distract him from his plans for world domination long enough for someone to intervene. That would be her role, after all. She wasn't stupid; Darcy Lewis was nothing but an object in this game. Some leverage. They'd kept Darcy underground in their capital for an entire year on the off chance that Loki would come back. As she threw on a heavy cardigan and beanie, following Coulson out of her apartment and travelling upward in the lift towards the surface she wondered if she should be thanking Loki that he hadn't waited ten years instead of the one. As she breathed fresh air and felt sunlight on her ivory-pale skin she smiled. It was under some pretty terrible circumstances and she was literally surrounded by black clad agents, but hey, the sunlight felt fucking amazing.


	5. Chapter 5

"Lady Darcy, what are you doing on this floating fort?" We are to do battle, who brought you into danger?" Thor's hug was firm but there was worry in his sky blue eyes as he checked her over for imagined damage.

"The' Lady' as you call her is your brother's soul mate." Darcy spun around and glared daggers at the one eyed asshole / pain in her ass Nick Fury.

"Shut it Nick, I'm not some damn animal to be mated off, though it wouldn't surprise me if you did that too."

"Could've fooled me the last time we met."

"You'd just dragged me out of my home when I did absolutely nothing wrong. Don't you dare let on that there is anything good about what you have done to me."

"You what?!"

Thor boomed as the actual Captain Fucking America crossly asked "What kind of organisation is this? She's an innocent woman! I thought we were helping people?"

Natasha stayed silent, Darcy noticed, but Darcy didn't think she was imagining the look of anger she projected for just a moment. They'd never discussed it, but Darcy had figured out after a few visits that the woman wasn't very happy about her incarceration.

"You gonna tell me I was wrong? That mark meant that the bastard would be back and here he is. You gonna tell me I shouldn't use every piece of leverage I can?"

"She's a human being." Darcy turned at the soft voice to see a vaguely familiar crumpled looking dude with soft fluffy hair. The scientist wrangling instincts she'd developed in her time with Jane had her wanting to wrap him in a blanket and bring him tea.

There was a whistle. "Well all I can say is he's a lucky bastard if it's true; though I feel sorry for you, Princess."

Darcy pulled a face. "You may be Tony Fucking Stark but I'd thank you not to assume I want your commentary on either my body or my life." she crossed her arms over her boobs, hidden as they were among her layers. "And who the fuck are you people?"

"Steve Rogers Ma'am." As Captain leaned forward and shook her hand she stared at the most famous soul mark in recorded history, a red star like shape across his palm. His face turned to stone as he pulled his hand away.

She blushed at her rudeness. "Fate's a bitch. I'm so sorry." She said softly, feeling for him. He nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Aint that the truth." He murmured as Natasha introduced Dr Fluffy.

"Darcy Lewis this is Dr Banner, code name The Hulk."

Darcy smiled; she knew where she had recognised him from. She always had a thing for brains, after all. "I used to have a massive crush on you during my undergrad years. I'm sorry, I- They said you 'died? I would've gone to your funeral but I was in New Mexico meeting this guy." She pointed at Thor with her thumb.

Dr Banner blanched while Stark cackled but he answered her. "No, I ah... I became... Something else."

"I'm guessing this Hulk thing is connected to what happened to Culver that week?" She vaguely registered Fury talking about a terrible week between swears.

He nodded, but didn't expand. She shrugged. "I'm Tony Stark. And you are?" Darcy dodged as he went for her hand and she noticed Thor and Steve move to either side of her as if to ward off his advances. She tipped her head to the side and told him."I'm Darcy, SHIELDs kept whore."

"Darcy it's not like that." Coulson said, face strained.

"Call it what you like, but I think it's about time that you met your match, Lewis. Follow me." There was an outcry from the room but Fury raised a hand. "Need I remind you that this guy intends to take our planet? She won't be harmed."

"You had best be right, Fury, or I will snap you in two."Darcy gulped as she looked up at Thor. He wasn't fucking around. He took her hand and kissed it softly. "You are under my protection my lightning sister. My brother has never hurt a woman in his life, and I'm sure he won't hurt you."

She lowered her eyes, not knowing what to say to that and looked instead at Natasha, who gave her a nod. She'd come to learn that this particular look meant something like 'you can do it' or 'drink some concrete and harden up' she wasn't sure, but she hated that look as it usually came before a beating on the matts.

She sighed and followed Fury out of the door, slapping Starks hand away from her ass. "Fuck off Stark."

Wherever they were going it was a completely different part of the helecarrier. And she couldn't believe the taxpayer dollar was going to that kind of thing. A flying aircraft carrier? Fuck. She glared daggers into Fury's back as she followed him, Carter silent at her side.

She had no idea what to expect but as they came into an area with a glass cell at the centre, she raised an eyebrow. How come Loki's brother looked nothing like him? "I see you've brought me a tasty morsel. I had no idea you would be so accommodating, Nickolas."

Darcy's lip curled as she looked him up and down. This was her match?

...

Loki looked over the three new arrivals. Fury had been in previously to gloat, not realising the god was precisely where he needed to be. The man had no idea he was playing with the Norn themselves. Fool. The other two were female and both were delicious. One, the blonde was wearing a uniform and was clearly a guard but the little brunette, she could not possibly be military. Her lip curled as she looked him up and down and he smiled as he spied a mark on her fist. She was clearly a fiery woman, just his favourite kind.

"We have reason to believe Ms Lewis means something to you, Odinson."

Loki growled. "That is not my name."

Fury's mouth tipped. "Thor claims you as a brother."

"Thor is no more my brother than you are. The oaf is nothing to me."

The little one looked like she wanted to say something. With her face flushed with anger she looked ravishing. Fury hushed her and tipped his head to the side. "That is neither here, nor there. Lewis received a stain on her hand a year ago, after being previously blank her entire life. She received it on the same day that you visited.

"This is my first visit to your pitiful planet."

Fury tsked and took hold of the woman. Loki felt nervous, though he held himself in check, wanting to rub the place on his jaw that carried his stain. She really was a lovely thing, currently trying to push the larger man off of her. "We both know that's not true."

Loki swallowed. Surely this man would not harm a civilian woman. He kept his theatrics up and smiled wide. "Surely the great and noble humans would not threaten the life of a tiny girl child, especially not one as pretty as she. What happened to honour? What does the mighty Thor or the Righteous Captain have to say about this?"

Fury lead the woman, Ms Lewis to the door of his cage. "What they don't know won't hurt them." He said and pressed a button. Loki was thrown against the roof by a force he couldn't place. He growled as the woman was pushed inside, screaming delightfully creative obscenities at her traitorous Director. The other woman was pale, but held her position with her weapon pointed at Loki as the door was closed and locked. Lewis hammered her fists on the door but Fury walked away, reminding Loki of the nature of this cage. It was a bold play, and unfortunately it was largely successful. Sure, Loki had killed a few people in pursuit of his goals on Midgard but this woman had done nothing to impede his mission, instead Fury had kept her against her will and put the kitten in a pen with a wolf.

His invisible binds were released and he landed gracefully in a crouch, not taking his eyes off of the frightened woman. Wary of his mission, he continued with his theater. "Now, what have we here? You really are a gorgeous little thing, aren't you?" He hated himself a little as she paled further, pressing her back into the door as if that would do anything. Fury was a cad. "Tell me, are you really my match?" she managed a shrug as he wandered closer, reaching out to touch a lock of her hair. She reacted, quick as a viper, then whimpered at the burn she was surely feeling as he was. He had wondered what he was to have done to deserve a mark on his face and he had to admit grudgingly that it was fair. The woman definitely deserved her wrath. They froze, and stared at one another, Loki's hand unconsciously going to his jaw while the woman groaned in pain, holding her hand.

He swore in a few languages as he approached her, hands raised. He kneeled, taking her hand gently and inspecting it. "What were you thinking? Striking one such as me? You'd be better off punching a wall." She was shaking, her breathing coming too fast, eyes wide. Under his fingers her pulse raced. "Hush now. Ms Lewis you must- " He caught her as she fainted and rose to lay her on the steel bench built into the back wall vaguely resembling a bed. He snorted to himself, noting how small it was. There was no way he would fit on it at all.

He projected an illusion about him as he gently laid his heart mate down on the bench and placed his hand on her forehead, pushing her into a gentle sleep. He distractedly pulled a blanket and pillow out of interdimensional storage. He didn't want them seeing how attached to the woman he already found himself, tucking her in carefully and brushing her gorgeous hair out of her face. He turned to her hand, he one now holding a pattern in blue that matched the mauve one on his face. Why blue? He wondered to himself before paling. Oh. Pushing away thoughts of his heritage he felt the bones of the hand with his magic and sensed a few fractures. Using a trickle of magic he mended each one carefully before softly kissing the mark and placing her hand on her stomach and stepping back. He dropped most of the illusion, though he hid the fact that she had a pillow and blanket and turned as The Spider entered the room. Time for more theatrics. He smiled viciously as the woman's eyes went to his mate, subtly stepping to block her vision of the woman. "There's not many people who can sneak up on me."

 _a memo: People I don't hate: Tony Stark, Sharon Carter, Nick Fury. Darcy's just been held against her will for a year so she's pretty antsy._


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy groaned as she woke, her back and neck stiff. She was on a couch and covered by a blanket that felt like it was made out of embroidered silk. "What the fuck happened to me?" She mumbled. She flinched back as she saw Loki standing over her.

"Ms Lewis, as your own people showed no concern for your safety I decided to take you with me, though that was decidedly not the plan. Now, we need to have a chat, if you don't mind."

"Darcy."

"Beg your pardon?"

"My name's Darcy." She groaned as she sat up and looked around. "Where are we?" She had no idea why he was being so polite but she thought she'd take what she could get. He was right, Fury had thrown her to the shark, and she was stuck with him now.

"We are at Anthony Stark's austentacious abode. In the city of New York."

She snorted, "That explains the Star Trek bar." She rose, thinking of hunting down some brandy or whatever Tony stocked but fell back, woozy. "What the fuck happened to me?" she asked again.

"You fractured your hand in a few places when you hit me. I healed them but my magic will have a small effect on you, the Midgaardian body isn't as robust as that of my people, but that feeling should leave you soon."

She gaped, opening and closing her fist carefully. "Sure. Magic. Well fuck me." The stain had changed to a distinctive snowflake-like mark, one that matched the purple one on his jaw line.

He chuckled darkly, his eyes drifting softly over her rumpled form, still mostly covered by the blanket. "Oh, I wish we had time, but alas."

She laughed at that, "Gotta at buy me a drink at the very least before you get anything out of me buddy." He strolled over to Tony's bar, strangely not looking out of place in his Space Prince clothes.

"What would you like to drink?"

She smiled slyly. "I bet he has some really old scotch up there."

He paused for a moment before reaching for a bottle. "He does, right here." He pulled the decanter from the shelf and unstopped it, sniffing the contents before pouring them both a generous amount. He flashed back to the couch and offered her one, sitting next to her comfortably, his legs spread wide. Darcy finally realised all of the stories about soul mates were true. He was a bonafide villain, and yet she totally felt calmer when he was close. A fact she resented, right at that moment. She took a sip of the scotch and groaned. Loki shifted in his seat. "Lady Darcy," She looked at him. He swallowed and continued. "I need you to know that I am about to do some pretty terrible things, and then lose a battle," His eyes grew distant as he looked over his shoulder to the massive windows. "And then I suppose I'll either get killed or arrested." He sighed.

She raised an eyebrow. "Your plan is to lose? Wait, you went on the helecarrier on purpose, didn't you?"

He nodded. "Precisely."

"I thought your idea was a stupid one. Who attacks New York? Totally impractical." His eyes glittered with mirth, his smile crooked but behind that he looked tired.

"Theatre, my darling. Believe me, the last thing I wish for is a throne." His thumb grazed the sleeve of her cardigan slowly, his brows pulled together. "Especially now." He pulled his hand away and instead straightened his jacket and pushed his hair back. "Alas, the Norns saw fit to give me a terrible task, and I must ensure it is completed.

"The fuck are the Norns?"

He huffed a laugh at her language. "You are delightful." He said sort of regretfully, and then took a breath. "The Norns, I believe you call them the Fates. They are immense beings of incredible power. They control the turn of events in the nine realms. some people refer to it as a tapestry, with so many threads, others see it as a tree. Some of us, myself foremost it seems, they meddle with more than others. I was taken, you see. When I fell from the bifrost. I fell – it felt like forever, through the void. Nothingness. I felt as if I was being unmade. Instead of letting me die, The Norns caught me in their vast hands and informed me in no uncertain terms that I would be taken, and that it was up to me to prevent the destruction of worlds." He swallowed some scotch, wincing before continuing. "They threw me in Gods know what direction and once more I was moving through the void. To their word, I was found by the most feared creature in all the tales on Asgard. I myself am a beast, but he is ... He courts death herself." He shuddered and Darcy found herself placing a hand on his forearm. He stared at it, not seeming to see as he continued his hastily told tale. "Thanos wanted information, about Asgard and the other realms. But first he had to break me. The torture was..." Another shudder and he knocked back his drink, summoning the decanter to his large hand and refilling both their glasses.

She bit her lip before contributing softly "My stain- it flickered. I think you were falling for a month. It flickered in and out, and then after a month it started to hurt."

His head snapped up and he took her hand in his, kissing the mark ever so softly. "I'm so sorry."

She shrugged, nibbling on her lip and trying not to think about how right it felt when he touched her, like the pieces of her heart started to move together and heal. She left her hand in his and carried on. "Sometimes I would have nightmares about what was happening to you."

Loki closed his eyes and drew her hand to his mouth again, kissing her palm twice. "Darcy I'm -."

"Come on, Loki, you were getting tortured, you don't need to apologise to me."

He looked at her wryly. "I am a lot less frail than you, pet." He sighed. "Thanos wanted the tesseract, a gem of great power. With it he would be granted access to the nine realms and obliterate all life. This cannot happen. But I have to be seen to lose, I must be punished and put in prison out of his reach or far a worse fate than any my fa- Odin could hand out will be delivered to me. They will make me dream of something as sweet as pain." His alien eyes must have seen something in the distance because he dropped her hand.

"Can't you tell them? Loki you were tortured! You don't need to do this!"

"Darling, Darcy, Listen. Thanos will find a way to come here if I don't do this properly. Midgard needs to fight this battle, and rout the enemy. But I have set things up the best way I knew how with the knowledge I had at the time. If there was another way- Stark is coming. Midgard will prevail; I will make sure of it." He rose and leaned over her, taking her face in his giant hands, his eyes drinking her in. "If only I could keep you." He whispered before he kissed her softly. A warmth she had never dreamed of bubbled up from her belly and surrounded her heart as he tilted her face for better access. She opened her mouth and he groaned as she played her tongue against his. Too soon he pulled away, his hands shaking as he released her from his grip. "I'm sorry you were matched with a monster." He said softly as she spied Stark flying in.

Loki backed away from her and his whole persona changed as the owner of the home they were camped out in landed; his famous suit peeling off of him piece by piece. "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity." Loki said softly.

Tony Stark huffed and moved to his bar, looking over at Darcy. Loki stepped between them, blocking his view. "Uh actually I'm planning to threaten you."

Darcy enjoyed a nice, snarky back and forth as the next overly sarcastic millennial, but her stomach dropped as Stark turned it into a dire warning about what was to come. She knew next to nothing about the Hulk but the way everyone treated Dr Banner and the way they spoke of the Hulk made her scared for her soul mate. She still wasn't sure about exactly how good a person he was, but she believed what he said about that dude Thanos. And could she be blamed if she didn't want him to die? She saw him get distracted by the spear not working. Saw him wearing the same expression that Jane got when there was a science! question to solve, and then shake it off because he was supposed to be a villain. She was pretty impressed when he picked Stark up by the neck and bodily threw him across the room, but Screamed when then threw out the window and again whimpered when his suit flew out after him. She shrieked once again when Iron Man reappeared in the window and shot Loki in the chest. His face snapped to the side where she was standing like the clueless civilian she was and yelled 'Run!' as the portal opened up outside.

Thoughts of Jane and how much of a science boner she'd get right now passed though her mind as she felt Loki push her towards the lift. "NOW Darcy. Find shelter."

Distractedly Stark told someone called Jarvis to lead her to the safe room and lights lit up on the floor, leading her away from Loki, who had already turned back to his battle. She knew the tears that ran down her face were out of shock but she exited the room and followed the lights, scrubbing her face. When she reached the safe room she curled up in a ball on the comfortable chair, regretting not wearing sensible clothes after all. "If only I could see what is happening." She said out loud idly.

And jumped a little when a voice spoke out of nowhere. "Ms Lewis I can patch you into what I can." She scolded herself for being so jumpy when shit got real but shook it off.

"That would be amazing...Jarvis?"

"Yes Madame."

"Nice to meet you, and thank you."

"Not a problem Madame." She gave a wet smile at the label and found she didn't mind. The smile dropped as she saw several views of different parts of the city thrown up on the walls. Natasha kicked some serious ass, and Darcy cheered on silently. She raised an eyebrow at a few of the things Cap said but got distracted when she saw Banner turn into the Hulk. She swallowed. So that was what they got so scared about. Damn.

As time passed and she saw more and more civilians in danger she demanded to be let out. "Apologies Ms Lewis I am instructed to keep you safe until all danger has passed."

"It's not right Jarvis I can't just sit here- there are children out there!" She hammered on the door, her pulse racing and anger making her see spots.

"As distressing as the situation is my programming prevents me from letting you out."

She paused. "Can- can I programme you differently?"

"As high as your IQ is Madame this is a safe room that Sir built for his soul mate Ms Potts. It is not hackable or able to be opened in any other way except through a command by Sir or a manual key that Sir has on his person. I am sorry."

"Damn right you'll be sorry when I am the only uninjured person in this whole fucking city!" She said but JARVIS didn't respond. She slid to the ground with her back to the door and watched on the wall as the city was torn to shreds by armoured aliens and their massive flying space whales. True to Cap's prediction the fight was mostly centered around the Avengers and Darcy was thankful, though there was far too much collateral damage and she grew dizzy and nauseous as she watched.

It felt like days when she finally watched Hulk bash her soul mate into the concrete floor of Stark's lounge room, just meters from the site of their first kiss. She tiredly wondered if it would be their last as she watched Loki groan in a fucking crater in the concrete. She knew he was badass but that looked pretty fucking awful. She rose as he surrendered and the door finally opened.

She raced out and jumped her soul mate before anyone could stop her. "You fucking lied! People died Loki! So many people are dead! I had to watch them die!" He caught her hands and pulled her further onto him as she melted into sobs, traumatised by everything she'd just witnessed. "Children. I just watched children die because of the fucking Norns and their stupid fucking plans." She choked into this armour and he stroked her hair with shaky hands and apologising quietly over and over into her ear.

"What is this Loki? The Norns sent you?" Thor rumbled incredulously.

Loki groaned and laid his head back down, breathing carefully with the pain. "Thanos sent me. He would have sent someone worse. I had to do an inside job. Make sure we got the tesseract back to Asgard." He coughed and Darcy reached up and stroked his cheek.

"Are you OK?"

He smiled softly. "Nothing that cannot heal, love."

"What?" Came from the bar. "Are you telling me it was a set up? I just almost died! I just flew a weapon of mass destruction into fucking space for – for a farce?"

Loki sat up, pulling Darcy with him. She snuggled into his chest, looking guiltily at the others. Cap was leaning against the bar looking decidedly not too surprised while the others all seemed to be putting the pieces together pretty quickly. Natasha was looking at Loki calculatingly.

"I was not the one to send this weapon, Anthony- that was your own kind." He turned to Thor and said pointedly, "I told you, they tear one another to shreds. If you are to protect this realm you need to do a better job." Turning back to Tony he gently laid it out. "Imagine your worst nightmares coming true. Your lover killed, your cities laid to waste, taken by the Chitauri and any number of sadists and madmen at Thatnos' disposal. Or maybe one of his daughters? Women he stole from the families he murdered and conditioned to obey his every whim; their bodies mutilated and crafted into unbreakable weapons." He looked at Tony and huffed at the excited look he was getting. "Yes, it is possible but it isn't something you want to play with, trust me. Do not tell Fury of this possibility or I will come back and hurt you." He shuddered. "Thanos wishes to destroy the nine realms. To take every life as a sacrifice to his lover- Lady Death. I fought seventeen different beings for the right to take Midgard by force. That was after what felt like aeons of torture. I had to get here and make the task seem impossible. That weapon you speak of will have worked better than even what I came up with, actually." He kissed Darcy on the temple softly and said. "I am utterly sorry for the lives of innocents that were taken. They will weigh on my soul for the rest of my life, but it would have been far more had I not pulled off this ruse."

Everyone was silent, not knowing how to respond. "This is quite a turnaround, brother." Thor said, clearly not knowing what to think.

Loki sighed. "It is amazing what some time away from home will do for your perspective." He said softly.

Steve smiled at Loki who gave him a wry grin in return. Nat shot Darcy a knowing smile when she said "Tony you got somewhere we can lock our con up?"

Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeeeah, they can stay in the spare bedroom tonight. Anyone else hungry? JARVIS what's still open?"

"There is a shwarma establishment one block east of here, Sir. It is your most favoured of that cuisine I believe."

"Excellent. You two-" He pointed right at them with narrowed eyes. "No glove no love." Darcy snorted and pulled a finger at him as everyone but Cap, Loki and Thor laughed. The three of them just looked confused. Darcy sighed and turned in Loki's arms as the others filed out.

"I'm glad you didn't die." She said, feeling slightly shy now that they were alone.

He smiled softly. "As am I." She leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips. She felt his body relax slightly and he pulled her to him to kiss her again, sighing into her mouth. When they separated again he opened his eyes to look at her in puzzlement. "Why do we need to wear gloves?"

Darcy burst out laughing and she leaned into his chest as she let it out. Eventually she calmed down enough to say. "It's a euphemism for one of the forms of contraception we have." She blushed a little as Loki's eyes darkened.

"He assumed I would bed you tonight?"

She kissed his jaw where her mark was he moaned quietly. Pleased, she did it again, then worried the skin a little bit with her teeth. "I don't know if I will ever see you again. Won't you give me one night, lover?"

Loki stared at her for what seemed like forever before pulling her into a fierce kiss. "Darcy. If you want me I am yours."

She shuddered at the sheer pleasure to be found in her lover saying her name. "Jarvis, where is the spare bedroom?"

Loki stood carefully, swearing profusely as he gingerly removed them both from the hole in the floor they had been in this whole time. He then tenderly carried her into the impossibly luxurious room they had been given. It was pretty generous of Tony, she thought as Loki laid her carefully on the bed. "Loki." She tsked and rose. She led him into the massive bathroom and told him to get out if his armour while she hunted for a first aid kit. She found one and filled the brass sink up with warm water, adding a splash of antiseptic fluid. When his torso was bare she traced his sides lightly and leaned up for a kiss which he gladly gave her. Eventually she got him to sit on the bench that was against the wall, stacked with towels. She started on his wounds then, cleaning each one and shushing his protests and declarations of advanced healing and super awesome magical powers. Once done she smiled down at him and he simply waited to see what she wanted next. She pulled her cardigan off and stepped between his knees. Seated like this his face was almost level with her own and she took advantage of this fact by gripping his hair hard and pulling his mouth to her own. Her toes curled at the sounds he made.

 _memo: next chapter NSFW!_


	7. Chapter 7

_NSFW!_

Loki could not believe that after everything he had done, after the trauma and pain his lover had expressed at the results of his labours that he was gifted with luxurious lodgings and the ministrations of woman of his dreams. Even more, he could not believe their current position. She was definitely his type, he had decided with all of the extra information he had after mere hours in her company. She was fierce and brave in word and deed, bold enough to show him what she wanted as she took control of their kiss. She took his hands and placed them on her thighs where those stockings had been teasing at his attention since he had first seen her on the helecarrier. His thumbs softly circled the patch of exposed skin but she pushed him higher, under that scandalously short skirt to softer skin still.

Loki was hardly virginal, but it had been quite some time since he had been this close to anyone, and they had certainly not been his heart mate. He had never dreamed that this was for him, and if he had he never would have been able to imagine a woman so perfect. He gripped her arse with both hands and she pulled at his hair and bit his lip, driving him wild. He needed her. " _Darcy_." He managed to pant out and she smiled, pulling away from him and taking off her shirt. His eyes widened at the sight of the lace confection supporting the most beautiful breasts he had ever seen and she smirked as she shimmied out of her skirt and toed off her shoes, leaving her in her underwear and those stockings. Then she opened her legs, resting one foot on the bench near his aching groin. Her self satisfied smirk grew as she leaned down and slowly peeled off the stocking from her thigh and down, revealing her ample cleavage as she bent. He bit his lip, not able to take his eyes away as she rose and then repeated the action with the other leg.

"Loki." She said in a scolding tone. "Why aren't you undressing?" He swallowed and moved his hands down to his trousers then frowned in confusion as she fell to her knees.

" _You_ shouldn't be kneeling for _me_ , love."

She clicked her tongue as she pushed his useless hands away and worked on the bindings of his trousers herself. "You seemed so fond of it yesterday." He groaned, devastated that she had seen that and then again as she pulled his member out, her hands gently stroking the shaft. She stilled her hands, tipping her head to the side. "Was the eyeball really necessary?"

He winced again. "Theatre. I healed him afterwards. No one will know." She smiled and angled her head up for a kiss and he submitted gladly, revelling in the taste of her beautiful lips once more. She started stroking him and he sighed into her mouth. She pulled away from the kiss and he was disappointed until she replaced one of her hands with her mouth. His eyes closed and he panted with the effort not to fuck into her gorgeous mouth, gripping the bench next to him. "Darcy. Love. Wait." She pulled off him with a pop and he stroked her hair back from her face tenderly. "I want you, but not like this. Not the first time."

She smiled brightly. "Shower sex?"

He groaned with the suggestion. "Can I not make love to you on the bed first?" She shrugged and rose and Loki couldn't stop himself from using the position to pay attention to her breasts before scooping her up in his arms and heading to the bedroom. His injuries were healing but he was still tender and stiff in his spine and neck among other regions. As he laid her on the bed once more she scooted up to the pillows and he raked his eyes over her body. Removing his trousers he vowed to do her justice this night. If they only had one night to spend, then he would make sure she had good memories of the soul mate who didn't deserve her. Not in a million years.

...

Darcy woke with a heavy weight on her chest. She smiled as she buried her hands in the black locks attached to the head that was pillowed on her chest. She felt the arms wrapped around her move, and then she was lost in two green eyes. "Hey." She whispered. He blinked sleepily before coming fully awake.

"Hello." He replied, voice hoarse.

She took a strand of his hair and pulled softly. "I like you like this- all bedraggled and... naked."

He chuckled darkly and kissed her sternum, right between her breasts and looked at her through his eyelashes. "I have to say the feeling is mutual. You look positively debauched my dear." She knew her smile was impossibly smug but what was a girl to do? She had been beautifully and thoroughly fucked the night before.

They had done it in the bed as Loki had asked, but only after she queened him (he had enjoyed both the act and the terminology for that one immensely). Then she'd finally dragged him to the shower and he had shown off both his superhuman strength and stamina, much to her delight. He had an amazing refractory period which she had enjoyed testing the limits of well into the early morning when they had both lain in one another's arms, not ready to relinquish the other to sleep just yet. "Thor's heart mate, what is she like?" He'd asked quietly, and she had answered; though he could see it brought her a little pain.

"I- she is incredibly intelligent. Like you (but because she's younger she doesn't have as much knowledge) Anyway, she's quick. And fierce too. Her whole career she had to fight for funding and any credibility she could get because she was basically too far advanced for our usual physics. They didn't believe what she suggested was possible. A bridge through space? We have only just made it to Mars, you know? I don't know about growing up without a stain in Asgard, but here both of us were treated pretty badly. My parents gave me up, rejected me. And Jane had it pretty hard too. So it's a little ironic that Thor's banishment brought her both proof that her projects are totally possible but also brought her a soul stain at the same time. I don't think she'll ever stop fighting though, now that she knows she'll be going even harder."

Loki gently turned her face towards his. "Your parents rejected you?"

She nodded, looking down and biting her lips. She'd tried, but she'd never quite gotten over it. "Yeah, I was raised for the first part of my life in shitty foster homes. Treated pretty badly. They'd always give the other kids most of my portion and I just remember being hungry all the time. My clothes were always too big or too small and I didn't get any shoes till I had to go to school. But my adoptive parents found me and took me in. They chose me out of all the other kids who had stains and they loved me and told me I was special. They paid for my education too. That's how I met Jane. And she led me to you." Loki pulled her to him, placing kisses all over her face.

"I'm so sorry that you had a hard life all because you are my heart mate."

"Hey, it's not like I was the only kid to have a hard life."

"Yes, but they _incarcerated_ you this last year. You were entirely innocent of any wrong. That was because of me."

She gave him that one. "That's true, and what the _fuck_ was with that fire robot anyway?"

He groaned. "The destroyer. Four of our most elite warriors disobeyed a direct order and traveled to an innocent realm who until then had no knowledge of us. I couldn't have them just wandering around Midgard unchecked." a sigh. "Had I been of more sound mind I would have chosen a more subtle approach but as it stood I wanted to make an impact on Thor. I don't quite know what I wanted actually. I _truly_ was out of my mind. I'm so sorry you were in harm's way."

She smoothed the lines on his forehead. "I always knew I was adopted, but from what Thor said it was a crazy time for you to find out. And then have to rule a whole planet in the same day. They kind of left you in a lurch. Is your dad going to understand everything?"

He deflated and buried his face in her shoulder "I don't know. The last time we spoke he- I don't think he _is_ my father anymore."

"That's not the way Thor says it."

He gave a humourless chuckle. "That idiot doesn't know anything. He never did understand."

Darcy moved so that she could see his face. "You know he's not stupid, right? You're just excessively, impossibly, ridiculously intelligent." She kissed along his jaw and whispered in his ear. "Which I find incredibly sexy." He groaned as her hand slipped down his hard chest and flat stomach, reaching for his half hard dick. "I _love_ your brain. I love that you are so well read and that you think things through." She pushed him so that he was lying on his back, bending her head to lick his neck. "I love that you strategise not for glory but for the most peaceful conclusion." His hips moved and his head arched back as she continued to whisper about how sexy he was and rolled on a condom. Eventually she couldn't handle it anymore and she straddled him, taking him into herself in a move that left him arching off the bed in a silent scream. Darcy smirked. It felt pretty damn good to have a god at your mercy. She rode him like a fucking vaquero and then, when they had both come to an explosive finish where she may or may not have blacked out for a moment, she told him in no uncertain terms that this was no time for pride; he had to tell his pa the truth so that he could come back to her some day. He had winced, telling her she had the makings of a fantastic goddess of mischief and she rewarded him richly.

But now it was morning and the soft morning light leaking in whispered that life must go on. She pouted as Loki climbed out of bed, all long limbs and messy black hair. When not kept pristinely flat and slicked back it had a natural curl and she would always try to remember him this way, dishevelled and sleepy. They had just finished dressing in clothes that Loki had magically freshened up when JARVIS quietly announced that breakfast was served downstairs.

Over breakfast Loki turned to Thor and announced that he needed to make a stop before they could go home. Everyone protested but Loki said that he'd like to bring Clint and Steve with him and they reluctantly agreed. Darcy raised an eyebrow and he just shrugged. "Just tying up loose ends darling."

She nodded and pour herself some coffee.

...

They arrived by teleportation in a hospital room and Clint immediately rushed to the bedside. The Captain's jaw ticked in recognition of the man who had brought them all together. "Not dead then."

"The Son of Col is a brave and noble warrior. I am sorry that your shield mate has had to suffer at all but I will do what I can to keep him alive yet." Clint looked unsure but eventually nodded, giving his lover a kiss on his clammy forehead before moving out of Loki's way. Loki laid his hand gingerly over the chest wound and slowly, ever so carefully knit together the effected organs and the broken chest bones. It took about an hour before he eventually pulled back, worn out. "There is still much mending he has to do. If you wish for me to do more I will not have enough energy to make it back to my brother and your shield brothers. However, he will now most certainly live. He has many years left."

Clint gave him a shaky nod and brushed Phil's cheek tenderly.

Loki spoke again. "They will keep his survival a secret for some time. This will be the last you see of your lover for a while yet, but I give this as a gift, I owe you an incredible debt."

The assassin nodded as he looked at Phil, drinking in his image. "I still hate you Loki."

"You have every right to. I did not choose this strategy lightly, but it is you who have suffered most for the path I chose." Clint closed his eyes, getting control of himself. "There are guards coming presently. Say your goodbyes."

Clint shot him a hateful look but turned back to his lover, whispering something that Steve and Loki pretended their super hearing didn't pick up. Steve suggested one more stop to Loki who nodded as both men stepped into his range and he moved them all just as two black clad agents opened the door.

...

Darcy finished her breakfast and then a few cups of delicious coffee as she watched Thor polish off about seven servings of waffles and bacon with marshmallows and maple syrup. She laughed and took another photo of him, remembering a vaguely similar situation one year ago. The boys eventually returned and Clint immediately put the table and Thor between them. Steve remained to chat and Darcy watched as Loki spoke to him solemnly. He nodded, just as serious and Loki passed him something before crossing to where she was sat.

"Darling. It is time for me to face my – the Allfather." He stared at her hungrily, apparently memorising her features.

"Remember me." She whispered.

"I could never forget you." He paused "I've been thinking. You said you had dreams of where I was?"

"Yeah, I thought you were getting tortured on Asgard. Wondered what the penal system was like if that's what they thought a fair punishment was. Then I read the mythology we have here on earth and I just hoped it had nothing to do with snake venom or the intestines of your children."

He looked confused and a little horrified. "I don't have any children." She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she didn't have to ask if Thanos' girlfriend was actually his daughter because that was just messed up. He continued, "I'll see if perhaps- that is, may I visit your dreams if I can find a way to you?"

She brightened at the demigod asking for her consent to visit her brain. "Well I'll be dreaming of you anyway so..."

His expression softened as he leaned in and kissed her, using his body to block them from the others in the room. She vaguely registered Tony whining about it but most of her attention was taken by the god who doing things with his tongue that were just incredible. Eventually she heard Thor rumbling something and Loki pulled away. They kept their eyes on one another as Thor shackled his brother thoroughly, including a muzzle thing, like he was some wild animal. Maybe, Darcy thought, in a way he was. He was definitely wild, at least. Though she wondered if anyone could actually keep the god of chaos in chains if that wasn't what he wanted.

"Jesus, Thor. You got a leash as well?" Tony asked, a little uncomfortable at seeing Loki dressed like he was going to a bondage convention.

The big man shrugged. "It prevents him from doing his magic." Loki rolled his eyes and Darcy smirked. What Thor didn't know wouldn't hurt him, surely.

...

They made their way to Central Park where they stood in a circle to witness their exit. The humans were all silent as the two alien brothers disappeared in a cloud of blue. Darcy took a breath and nervously turned to Clint and Natasha.

"So I guess you guys have to take me back in now?" The redhead shook her head and pointed over Darcy's shoulder.

Steve stood by his bike packing her bags on the back, Clint holding her Bucky Bear and one of her mother's quilts. "You weren't the only one being kept by SHIELD. We'll have to pick you guys up eventually and take you both in but we'll give you a head start. You deserve a bit of air, I think."

Darcy leaned in and gave the most dangerous woman in the world a hug. "How long?"

"As long as we can push it. Probably no longer than a fortnight, though I'm working on something else for you at that time."

Darcy shrugged. Better than nothing. "Alright. Thanks Tash." The red head smiled and handed her something solid and metal. She opened her hand and saw a taser that almost definitely wasn't bought over a counter anywhere.

"That'll take out a super soldier if he gets fresh."

Darcy laughed. "That one won't ever be over his soul mate, but it's good to know I have a weapon in case of other things." She kissed Clint on the cheek and climbed on the bike behind Steve, allowing Clint to strap a helmet on her head and help her into a kick ass leather jacket. Tony gave her a salute and Bruce offered a small smile and Steve took off, getting the hell out of dodge.

...

While Fury was getting spanked for letting the cosmic cube, a war criminal, the Avengers _and_ their leverage against Loki out of his sight, Darcy was educating Steve about the influence that the jazz and blues of his time had on any music that came thereafter. As Tony was showing Bruce his brand new lab with its own special Hulk pod in case of a bad situation, Steve was teaching Darcy how to light a fire with a flint. The kindling was some balled up bits of paper holding Darcy's failed attempts at drawing that she insisted had to be burned. He was laughing harder than he had since Bucky had died.

"So you're really as good at strategy as they said in my text books, aren't you? What was it that told you that Loki was faking it?"

Steve blushed. "Can't believe Buck and I are in text books when we didn't even finish high school." He sighed and scrubbed his face. "Uh, it was a few things, but mostly it was when we caught him. He used a lot of illusions when we fought and for some reason I could see through them. And he played right into our hands. When we brought him on board he looked way too pleased to be in chains on a plane. That was when I was clued in that he was playing us, but then on the helecarrier when you met him and you fainted he was so gentle, completely opposite to how he was acting before. You don't treat an ant like that, you know? And he put up an illusion up to hide the fact that he was fussing over you like a mother hen." He said, teasing her. "What clued you in?"

She snorted. "Yeah, I don't know, he's not exactly a teddy bear, and I don't think he's everyone's idea of a _good_ man, exactly, it's more like I got the feeling that he likes to be a free agent and a throne would just weigh him down? Plus his plan was crazy balls and he is always made out to be totally brilliant." Steve nodded and threw another log on the fire.

Two weeks later Nat caught up with them but instead of putting Darcy back underground she was given her passport, some cash, some of her warmer belongings and put on a plane to England where one Dr Jane Foster waited eagerly for her SHIELD appointed assistant aka her ex girlfriend.

Steve settled into an apartment in DC to take up regular missions for SHIELD, not exactly healed but a little more ready for this century thanks to the time out with a chatty millennial. He could've told Agent Carter that he recognised her from the helecarrier, but he invited her to do her laundry at his instead. She declined.

Darcy didn't dream of Loki every night, but they certainly got to know one another over time. She missed him immensely, and wished they could date like normal people but knew there was no way that Odin would let him out of jail just yet.


	8. Epilogue

_Epilogue. also NSFW!_

Darcy sat on her quilt covered bed in London staring up at her fairy lights and listening to the news reporter in the other room rattle on and on about Greenwich. Ian had a fixation with the news, she mused as she took another slug of beam. All she knew was that the dark elves had been averted, leaving destruction in their wake but all nine realms were still whole. Darcy wondered what it was like for normal people who had crisis situations that lasted for longer than three days almost annually. Granted, most people didn't really have to deal with darkness loving space elves or space princes on a mission from the laughing fates so there was that.

Thor had come back with a healthier looking Jane and told her that Loki was dead. Sure, saving the world and then kissing a lanky British intern before getting drunk in your room wasn't the usual way to deal with your soul mate's death but Darcy had never been normal anyway. She curled up on her quilt and stared at her mark, feeling incredibly guilty and slightly repulsed by that kiss. She rubbed her fingers over the design on her knuckles. Surely it would turn black, and then fade to a slivery grey over time. That's what happened when your match died. But it had remained stubbornly blue. Eventually she wiped her eyes and took a shower, planning her next move.

The warm water felt pretty good, she had to admit. She was glad Jane's mom had a decent place and that she'd so generously leant it to them. A hot shower with good water pressure was one of life's great pleasures and not to be taken for granted. She sighed, washing dust and grass out of her hair from the afternoons's adventures but jumped as a second pair of hands joined hers in the lather. "Did you think I would die that easily, love?"

She closed her eyes and let out the breath she was holding, dropping her hands and letting Loki wash her hair for her. "My mark didn't change-but Thor looked pretty convinced."

Loki chuckled and maneuvered her under the spray of the water to rinse her hair, picking up her soap and working it over her breasts, kissing her neck. She melted under his ministrations. "Darling, my brother has been complicit in my schemes for many years. He can lie when he wants to; don't let his puppy dog eyes fool you."

She smiled and turned at his use of a Darcy flavoured colloquialism, leaning against the tiled wall and looking him over and stopping suddenly at the sight of a healing wound on his chest. She reached out and thought better of it before touching it. "What? Loki you're hurt!"

He smiled wanly and admitted. "It does smart a bit." She pulled him forwards and kissed him. He placed his hands on the wall either side of her head and gave her a kiss that curled her toes and sent fire to her core.

She moved her hands to the back of his head and pulled. "You're not supposed to go and get stabbed Loki! I don't want to be cleaning you up every time I see you."

He looked at her sadly. "I can't make any promises I'm afraid."

She tugged on his hair gently and kissed him again, enjoying as his hands started roaming. They were so big, and he really knew how to use them. Things were just starting to get interesting when there was a hammering on the door. "Darcy are you alright in there?" Ian called and she muffled her giggle in Loki's shoulder.

"Yeah I'm OK." She called back.

"You're using all the hot water and I need to shower." He said and she wondered how she could ever kiss him. No matter how cute he was for a human he didn't really compare to her soul mate at all.

Loki kissed her nose and disappeared. She washed and dried in record time and gave Ian a sorry glance before she flew back to her room where Loki was lounging bare naked on her mother's quilt and holding the one that he had left behind in Tony's apartment a year ago. She let her robe fall to the floor as she closed the door.

Loki's eyes travelled her body slowly as he said "I have put a sound dampening spell on this room, darling. You can make as much noise as you like."

Darcy snorted and crossed the room "You and I both know," She said, straddling his hips and making him moan as she rubbed herself along his length. "That of the two of us you are by far the loudest, Loki." He bucked his hips and she pressed down on his shoulders. "Easy boy, you have a through and through there, are you sure you're well enough to play?" He growled and flipped them, using his strong thighs to spread her wide.

"I have been thinking of the way you taste for a _year_." She whimpered as he traced her lips with those long fingers, his other hand next to her hip. "I am not going to keep myself from you because of any wound."

He entered her with two fingers and pumped and she had nothing to say to that because if he stopped she thought she might actually self combust. "Nng. Loki!"

He kissed her wetly, and she wrapped both arms around his neck, pinning him in place, plundering his mouth with her tongue. They both shuddered as he pressed his thumb on her clit _just so_ and she came hard. They separated and she eyed him with a smile. "Ready to go, soldier?" He pulled his fingers out of her and placed them in his mouth, sucking her flavour. As that moment up on his knees, hair dripping from the shower and eyes dark he looked the very picture of debauchery and she bit her lip, pulling him down. "I want you so bad." She mewled. "Oh, I've missed the feel of you inside me." He was powerless against her words and allowed her to manoeuvre him down, her hands sliding down his back and her legs wrapping around his ass so that he slid right into her. It had been a _year_ , she thought belatedly, and they both reacted to the sensation with intense groans. Loki buried his face in her hair by her shoulder, saying something in another language. She bit his shoulder hard and he whimpered again, starting to move. She held onto him and hoped he wouldn't be disappearing again in the morning.

...

In the other room Jane was stroking Thor's face tenderly where it sported a large red mark from where she had slapped him. Twice. She started giggling. "What is it, my love?"

"What did your mom say when you and Loki turned up with stains _on your face_?" Thor chuckled, though his eyes were still sad.

"She took one look and said 'I'm sure you both deserve it.'" They both laughed.

"You did! You left me here for TWO YEARS Thor!"

He nodded, stroking a lock of her hair. "She was very pleased to meet you darling, I only wish she could have met Lady Darcy, they would have got on very well." His face was pensive. "Though something tells me she saw Darcy in her visions. Whenever our marks or heart mates would come up in conversation she would look at Loki with an expression of pride and a little mischief."

Jane smiled sadly. "I'm so glad they got a night with one another, I hope she'll be OK. Poor Darcy."

Thor gave a secret smile and kissed one breast and then the other. "I'm fairly certain she will be just fine."


End file.
